NBA Basketball Arena Review
- The House that Jordan BuiltAttending a Chicago Bulls game
at the United Center, home of the six-time World Champion Chicago
Bulls, has always been a dream of mine. As a teenager growing up in
the 1990's in Buffalo, New York, I never had a hometown NBA team to
follow. The Buffalo Braves came and left way before my time and I
certainly was not about to hitch my sail the Los Angeles Clippers
who were originally the Buffalo Braves. I'm not ashamed to admit
that I was one of the many bandwagon jumpers that rode Michael
Jordan's coattails to NBA championship glory on six separate
occasions. Jordan's Bulls were unstoppable with him at the helm,
bulldozing their way to six NBA titles and leaving pro basketball
fans in awe of his ability to take over a game like few who had ever
stepped on an NBA court before him or since. Michael Jordan is an
icon, a supremely recognizable, larger than life figure that
continues to be relevant in the world of professional sports long
after his retirement. Getting to the United Center was my
opportunity to relive past championship glory by setting foot into
the hallow halls of the "House that Jordan Built".

As part of
my Roundball Roadtrip, it's important to me to truly experience each
NBA city as a fan of the home team. For fans of the Chicago Bulls,
that experience involves getting some great food and sampling some
of the locally brewed adult beverages of choice that are native to
the area. Therefore, my Chicago Bulls Ultimate Fan Tour had to begin
with a visit to the Billy Goat Tavern located just a few short
blocks from the main gate of the United Center.

The
Billy
Goat Tavern is a legendary Chicago establishment immortalized by the
late John Belushi on Saturday Night Live in which he poses as a
short order cook rushing patrons through the line yelling
out,"Cheezborger! Cheezborger! Cheezborger! No fries, cheeps! No
Pepsi, Coke!," a nod to the cook staff at the Billy Goat Tavern in
Chicago. Established in 1934, the Billy Goat Tavern is known
throughout the Chicago area more for its role in "The Curse of the
Billy Goat" also known as the "Cubs Curse". According to legend,
Billy Goat Tavern owner, William "Billy Goat" Sianis, was denied
entrance to Wrigley Field while accompanied by his goat, Murphy.
Insulted and frustrated, Sianis appealed to Cubs owner, P.K.
Wrigley, who also refused to let the goat enter. In response, Billy
Goat Sianis placed a curse on the Chicago Cubs organization which
would only be lifted when the Chicago Cubs do right by his goat.
Prior to 1945 the Chicago Cubs were one of the most successful
franchises in major league baseball, but since the curse they've
been the perennial doormats, having been dubbed the "Lovable
Losers". Many attempts have been made to lift the curse by Billy
Goat Sianis's nephew, Sam Sianis, which have been temporarily
successful, but each time the Cubs are on the brink of a World
Series title, the organization forgets about Sam's goat and an eerie
sequence of events leads to their demise (see Steve Bartman
incident). My visit to the Billy Goat Tavern was curse-free, I paid
homage to the stuffed goat in the corner, ordered up a famous
"doublecheezborger", and even met Sam
Sianis, who still hangs out on
gameday to interact with patrons. The burger was excellent and I
really liked the Billy Goat Dark on tap.

Still feeling the
need to adequately lubricate myself and with plenty of time before
tip-off, I wandered down Madison Street to check out a few more of
the local watering holes. I was warned by several people that the
area around the United Center in not one of the safest
neighborhoods, but around gametime with fans scurrying from bar to
bar there's plenty of local police keeping a watchful eye out. We
made stops at the Bar Bistro and
The Westend, which I highly
recommend for pregame libations. The Chicago crowd is friendly and
very knowledgeable on the game, always looking to debate the finer
points of the NBA with a curious Roundball RoadTripper such as
myself. After a few of the Goose Island beers (I really like the
312, Nightstalker, and Demolition) it was onto the United Center for
the game.

As I said before, I am truly in awe of the United
Center and what it represents to the Chicago faithful, so as I
approached Gate 2, my jaw actually dropped as I finally set eyes on
the 12-foot tall, bronze statue of the great Michael Jordan.
Captured in mid flight, the statue shows Jordan soaring over
opponents with a focus on the rim. I stopped for several pictures.

As a pro basketball facility the United Center impressed me most
with its variety and quality of gameday concessions. There is truly
something for every taste that's available on the menus located
throughout the building. From Chicago Style Deep dish pizza to Tuscan
grilled chicken sandwiches to smoked beef brisket and carved smoked
turkey sandwiches, the United Center is cooking up an incredible
assortment of options for basketball fans. The best thing on the
menu has to be the Madhouse Burger however, which is comprised of a
full sized cheeseburger topped with a polish sausage and a mountain
of caramelized onions. As many of you know I have a cholesterol
problem that Iíve actively monitoring, but I'm still highly
recommending it Ö thatís good eating.

Stepping into the
arena, there's a tangible aura, a regal presence that Michael Jordan
left behind when he exited the building for the last time as a
Chicago Bull. It's a legacy that has to be intimidating for any
Chicago Bulls teams that are charged with continuing where Jordan
left off, as night after night they look to the rafter at the six
championship banners that hang inside the United Center. However,
from what I saw for this current crop of Bulls, it appears that
Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, and Carlos Boozer seem to be up for the
challenge. With the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers on the docket,
tonight's game was expected to be an easy win. Racing out to a 12 -2
lead to start the game off, the Bulls were surging, but Cleveland
closed the gap to end the first quarter within two points of the
Bulls. Then the Bulls, led by Derrick Rose's 24 points, began to
rebuild their lead well into the third quarter, at which time they
eased off the accelerator and allowed Cleveland to claw its way back
into the game. By the end of the fourth the Bulls had eventually
eased away from the LeBron-less Cavs and posted a solid 92 - 79
victory over Cleveland. The United Arena crowd was awesome and with
a Bulls win, we resumed our celebration.

Fan
Resources:Pocket Map of ChicagoArena Parking MapArena Fan Policy
Local Sports Media:The Chicago TribuneChicago Sun-TimesThe Score 670AMWhere To
Stay:Find
a hotel located in the downtown area. There's plenty to see and do and
you can still situate yourself within striking distance of the United
Center. I like the The Wit or the Hilton Chicago which have all the
amenities to properly pamper any Bulls Fan. Fiscally conscious fans
might check out the Best Western. It's clean and will allow you to save
enough money to afford more beer at the game. The
Hyatt Regency McCormick Place on King Dr. is located south of the city,
but it's a nice option as well.

Getting to the Arena:The United
Center is located west of the Loop in Chicago and the easiest way to
get there is to take the L-Train. Simply take the Green or Pink
lines to the Ashland Station. From there the United Center is a
short walk south on S Ashland Avenue, then west along W Madison Street
to the arena. If you're driving there's plenty of parking lots
located all around the arena, so parking will not be a problem.

Planning Your Next Trip to see the
Chicago Bulls at the United Center?NBABasketballArenas.com can help.
Below you'll find links for cheap Chicago Bulls tickets, arena seating
charts, local weather, hotel, and flight information.

Compare Prices for
Chicago Bulls
Basketball Tickets Here:

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COMMENTS?Tell me about your
experience at the United Center watching the Chicago Bulls. Please feel free to
post
any suggestions or comments you might have for my journey to
the United Center, including the following: - Local Hotspots (Bar
Districts, Restaurants, Clubs)
- Local Foods (Traditional Cuisine, Micro Brews)
- Your Experiences or Helpful Hints
- If you saw me let me know!
All commentary will be moderated. Your
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published.